Furniture support system

ABSTRACT

A furniture support system for workstation work tops including a support post ( 19  having a first locating formation ( 3 ) that extends longitudinally along at least a part of the length of the support post ( 1 ), and a support element ( 9, 23 ) having a second locating formation ( 15 ) that is complementary to the first locating formation ( 3 ) and engageable therewith, the first and second locating formations ( 3, 15 ) being constructed and arranged for sliding movement in the longitudinal direction, such that the position of the support element ( 9, 23 ) relative to the support post ( 1 ) is adjustable.

This application is the U.S. National Phase under 35 U.S.C. § 371 ofInternational Application PCT/GB03/01435, filed Apr. 2, 2003, whichclaims priority of GB 0207546.3, filed Apr. 2, 2002.

The present invention relates to a furniture support system, and inparticular, but not exclusively, to a support system for desks andworkstations.

Most desks have a work top that is set at a fixed height above thefloor, which is designed to be suitable for a person of average stature.However, this height may not be suitable for people who are unusuallytall or short. Furthermore, the ideal height of the work top may dependon the tasks being performed at the desk: for example, a desk designedfor typing will generally be lower than one designed for writing.

Desks with adjustable height work tops are known, but the adjustmentmechanism is often complicated and allows the height to be adjusted onlyincrementally.

In modern offices desks or workstations are often clustered together,for example two back-to-back, three at 120 degrees or four at 90degrees. This is usually the case in open plan offices, especially tosave space where the rent per unit area is high or where workstationshave to share essential facilities such as electricity supply.Electrical sockets are often located at intervals in the floor andseveral workstations may be positioned around them.

A drawback to clustering workstations is that localised noise isincreased making it more difficult for workers to concentrate and theclose proximity of other people also makes it difficult to haveconfidential discussions. A common solution to balancing the need tocluster workstations and providing a degree of privacy is to providepartition screens between desks. Partitions are typically opaquerectangular panels which are available in a variety of sizes. Forexample, some partitions are quite low and can be seen over from asitting position whilst others are higher and can only be seen over bystanding. The screens can be supported in free standing metal frames,with some systems having a facility for linking panels together.

When clustering workstations together, a typical solution is simply togroup a number of individual free-standing workstations together withoutfurther integration, i.e there is little or no sharing of componentsbetween units. A more economical method is to use an integrated systemthat allows some components, for example legs, to be shared betweenadjacent workstations. Such existing systems tend generally to be rathercomplicated and lacking in versatility.

Accordingly the present invention seeks to provide a furniture supportsystem that mitigates at least one of the aforesaid problems.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided afurniture support system including a support post having a firstlocating formation that extends longitudinally along at least a part ofthe length of the support post, and a support element having a secondlocating formation that is complementary to the first locating formationand engageable therewith, the first and second locating formations beingconstructed and arranged for sliding movement in the longitudinaldirection, such that the position of the support element relative to thesupport post is adjustable.

This invention allows the height of a workstation work top to beadjusted to a height which is comfortable for the person using theworkstation when performing a particular activity.

Advantageously the position of the support element relative to thesupport post is continuously adjustable. Continuous adjustment of thesupport element relative to the post overcomes the limited number ofsettings to which discrete systems are restricted.

Preferably the first locating formation comprises a channel formed inthe surface of the support post. This is a simple and strong mechanismwhich can be easily adjusted to suit the needs of the person using theworkstation. The channel may include a pair of parallel lips defining amouth, and a channel body located behind the mouth, the mouth beingnarrower than the channel body.

Advantageously the first locating formation extends along substantiallythe entire length of the support post. This feature allows a full rangeof positional settings of the support element relative to the supportpost and the support post to be manufactured by an extrusion process.

The support element may include locking means for fixing its positionrelative to the support post. The locking means can be of any type thatapplies pressure to the support post. Preferably the locking means isarranged to apply a compressive load on the first locating formation.For example, the second locating formation has an upper end and a lowerend, and the locking means is located towards the lower end and isconstructed and arranged for compressive engagement with the supportpost. Advantageously the locking means may include a screw elementengageable with the support post.

Preferably the support post is substantially cylindrical and preferablythe support element comprises a bracket for supporting a workstationwork top.

Advantageously the furniture support system can include a screen supportmember for supporting a partition screen. Preferably the screen supportmember includes a third locating formation that is complementary to thefirst locating formation and engageable therewith, the first and thirdlocating formations being constructed and arranged for sliding movementin the longitudinal direction, such that the position of the screensupport member relative to the support post is continuously adjustable.

The support post may include a plurality of angularly spaced firstlocating formations. This allows the support post to support a pluralityof components: for example, work tops and partition screens. Usingsupport elements and screen support members a variety of configurationscan be achieved to support, for example, a plurality of work tops, or acombination of work tops and partition screens. Since a number ofcomponents can share a single support post this leads to a reduction inthe number of parts required and hence a reduction in cost.

Preferably the support post includes between three and sixteen firstlocating formations, or between eight and twelve first locatingformations. However, these ranges are by way of example only and theinvention is not to be construed as being strictly limited toembodiments having a number of first locating formations within one ofthese ranges. The invention includes support posts having anypracticable number of first locating formations.

The first locating formations preferably extend substantially parallelto one another. Advantageously the support post includes attachmentmeans for connecting two posts end to end. This can extend the height ofa support post arrangement, for example, to provide support for a largepartition screen and is preferably arranged to allow continuousadjustment through the joint.

According to another aspect of present invention the furniture supportsystem includes a support post having a first locating formationincluding a channel that extends longitudinally along at least a part ofthe length of the support post, and a support element having a secondlocating formation that is complementary to the first locating formationand engageable therewith, the first and second locating formations beingconstructed and arranged for sliding movement in the longitudinaldirection such that the position of the support element relative to thesupport post is continuously adjustable, wherein the support elementincludes locking means for fixing its position relative to the supportpost, and the locking means is constructed and arranged for compressiveengagement with the channel.

The furniture support system can be used in a workstation which includesa work top and a plurality of legs for supporting the work top, whereinat least one of the legs comprises a furniture support system asdescribed above and the position of the work top relative to the supportpost is adjustable. This allows the user of the workstation to adjustthe height of the work top to an appropriate height, having regard forhis stature and the type of work to be performed at the workstation.

Likewise, the furniture support system can be used in a set ofworkstations which includes a plurality of work tops and a plurality oflegs for supporting the work tops, wherein at least one of the legs isarranged to support a plurality of the desk tops and comprises afurniture support system as described above. The furniture supportsystem is particularly useful when producing a cluster of workstationswhich are separated by partitions. For example, a single support postcan act as a common leg for a plurality of workstation work tops and asa common support member for a plurality of partition screens. Since asingle support post can support a plurality of partitions and/or worktops the number of components required is reduced.

In another example, at least two work tops from the set of workstationscan share a support post. Each work top can be supported by a differentsupport element attached to the common support post. Alternatively, asingle support element attached to a support post, can be arranged tosupport two adjacent work tops.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described, by way ofexample only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which likereferences indicate equivalent features, wherein:

FIG. 1 a is a cross-section of a support post having eight longitudinalchannels;

FIG. 1 b is a detailed cross-section of a channel of the support post ofFIG. 1 a;

FIG. 1 c is a side elevation of the support post of FIG. 1 a;

FIG. 2 a is a side elevation of a support element for a work top;

FIG. 2 b is an end elevation of a support element for a work top;

FIG. 2 c is a plan view of a support element for a work top;

FIG. 3 a is a sectional view of a support post and a support element fora partition panel;

FIG. 3 b is a side elevation of the support element shown in FIG. 3 a

FIG. 4 a is a cross-section of a support post having twelve channels;

FIG. 4 b is a detailed cross-section of a channel of the support post ofFIG. 4 a;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a support post having twelve channels, showinglocation positions for six support elements for partition screens andsix support elements for work tops;

FIGS. 6 a-c are top plan, side section and bottom plan views of anend-cap for a support post;

FIG. 7 is a side-section of a foot for a support post;

FIGS. 8 a-c are top plan, sectional and bottom plan views of an end-capfor a partition support element; and

FIGS. 9 a-b are bottom plan and sectional views of a foot for apartition support element.

FIG. 10 is a side sectional view of the support element.

FIGS. 1 a-c show a substantially cylindrical support post 1 having eightlongitudinal grooves 3, or channels, that run the entire length of thesupport post 1. The grooves 3 are arranged in parallel and are equallyspaced about the circumference of the support post 1 at an angle of 45degrees. The support post 1 has an outside diameter of 70 mm, and a wallthickness of approximately 2 mm although this can vary, particularlyaround parts of the groove 3. Between adjacent grooves 3 are parts ofthe support post 1 that define the outer wall 5 of the support post 1.

Each groove 3 has a uniform arcuate cross-section and is open at eachend of the support post 1. A pair of lips 7 run along the longitudinaledges of the groove 3 for the full length of the groove 3, forming amouth 8. The opposed lips 7 of each groove 3 are parallel to each otherand are parallel with the longitudinal direction of the groove 3. Thebody of the groove 3 has a maximum width of approximately 13 mm and thedistance between the lips 7 is approximately 9 mm. The maximum depth ofthe groove 3 is 8 mm. Each groove 3 is arranged to receive a supportelement 9,23.

The support post 1 is preferably extruded from aluminium, an aluminiumalloy, or from a plastics material but is not limited to this form ofmanufacture or material. The support post 1 length is typically in therange 385-2340 mm, for example, a support post 1 having a length of 685mm can provide a desk height of around 720 mm.

FIGS. 2 a-c show a support element 9 used to support a workstation worktop. The support element 9 includes a body 11, a rectangular supportplate 13 and a support post connector element 15 which has acomplementary profile to the profile of the grooves 3. The width andheight of the connector element 15 are 12 mm and 87 mm respectively. Thesupport element 9 has two undercut portions 17 which are complementaryto the lips 7 of the groove 3. The lips 7 form retaining walls whichprevent the support element 9 from falling out of the groove 3. Thesupport element has two shoulders 19 that are arranged to abut the outerwall 5 of the support post 1. The width of the support element 9 fromshoulder to shoulder is 24 mm. The support element 9 for a work top is atype of bracket.

The grooves 3 are smooth to allow support elements 9,23 to slide alongthem. This allows the support elements 9,23 to be easily positionedwithin the grooves 3 and facilitates easy construction ofworkstation/partition arrangements. The grooves 3 have substantiallyidentical cross-sectional profiles to enable the interchangeability ofsupport elements 9,23, and likewise, the support elements 9,23 havesubstantially identical profiled complementary connector elements 15.

The support plate 13 is arranged for attachment to the underside of aworkstation work top by bolts and includes a number of countersunk boltholes 21. Alternatively, the plate 13 can be screwed or adhered to thework top.

A hole 22 is formed through the body 11 and the connector element 15 ofthe support element 9. Preferably the hole 22 is formed towards thelower end of the connector element 15. This hole 22 has a screw threadand is arranged to receive a grub screw. The overall height of thesupport element 9, including the plate 13, is 127 mm.

The support element 9 is located in a groove 3 by sliding the connectorelement 15 into the groove 3 at one end of the support post 1.Preferably the fit is tight, but allows the support element 9 to slidealong the groove 3. The two undercut portions 17 are complementary tothe groove lips 7 and the shoulders 19 are complementary to the outerwall parts 5. Referring to FIG. 10, the groove lips 7 retain the supportelement 9 within the groove 3 when the support post 1 is verticallymounted. The position of the support element 9 relative to the groove 3is continuously adjustable since the connector element 15 can slidewithin the groove 3 to the desired position. The position of the supportelement 9 can then be fixed. Preferably this is achieved by tighteningthe grub screw 12 in the support element 9 against the support post 1.The grub screw 12 applies pressure to, for example, an inner wall of thegroove 3. The grub screw 12 applies a moment to the connector element 15such that its upper end 60 applies pressure to the inner wall and itslower end 61 to the groove lips 7, thereby creating a pressure trianglefixing the support element 9 in place. This arrangement is particularlyadvantageous since when loading is applied to the support element 9, forexample by a person working at a desk, the load biases the grub screw 12against the inner wall thereby increasing friction between the supportelement 9 and the support post 1 thus increasing the resistance toslippage. We have found that this locking arrangement is sufficientlystrong to meet all current statutory requirements.

Variations of this approach can be used for example by forming holes inthe support post 1 to locate the support elements 9 in set positions.The invention is not to be considered as being limited to furnituresupport systems including screw elements for applying pressure to thegroove 3. For example, a cam or toggle device could be used to applypressure to the support post 1.

FIGS. 3 a-c show views of a support element 23 for a partition screen.The partition support element 23 has a support post connector element 15and two shoulders 19 as described above, and for the same purpose hasthe equivalent components of the work top support element 9. Thepartition support element 23 also includes a cavity 25, which reducesthe weight of the support element 23, and a partition connector element24. The partition connector element 24 includes a male connector member27, having locking teeth 29, which is positioned between two walls 31.The partition screen is interposed between the walls 31 and the maleconnector member 27 engages with a female connector socket in thepartition screen. The locking teeth 29 in engagement with the femaleconnector socket provide sufficient friction to prevent the partitionscreen from disengaging from the partition support element 23.

The male connector member 27 can run the full height of the partitionsupport element 23 as shown in the extruded partition support element 23of FIGS. 3 a-b or, alternatively, may consist of a number of discreteconnector members 27 spaced along the height of the partition supportelement 23.

FIGS. 4 a and 4 b show a substantially cylindrical support post 1 havinga diameter of 130 mm and having twelve longitudinal grooves 3 which runthe full length of the support post 1.

The grooves 3 have a uniform arcuate cross-section and are open at eachend of the support post 1. Similarly to the support post 1 of FIGS. 1a-c, each groove 3 has a lip 7 running along each longitudinal edge ofthe groove 3 to the full length of the groove 3. The opposing lips 7 ofeach groove 3 are parallel to each other and are parallel with thegroove 3. The dimensions of the grooves 3 are substantially the same asthe dimensions of the grooves 3 of the eight fluted support post 1 shownin FIGS. 1 a-c.

The outer wall portions 5 of the cylindrical support post 1 of FIGS. 4 aand 4 b have slight concave profiles to accommodate the shoulders 19 onthe support elements 9,23.

The support post 1 of FIGS. 4 a and 4 b has a reinforcing structure tostrengthen the member. The structure includes a central hub 33,concentric with the outer wall 5 and grooves 3, and spurs 35 thatradiate from the central hub 33 to three of the grooves 3. The spurs 35are angularly spaced at intervals of 120 degrees. The central hub 33 andthe spurs 35 run the fall length of the support post 1. The hub 33 alsohas an axial cavity 37 having a diameter of 9 mm running the full lengthof the hub 33.

At the spur 35-groove 3 interface, the spur 35 is hooked, having aninternal diameter of 4 mm and an opening 39 between the hook tip 41 andthe spur 35 of 60 degrees.

FIG. 5 shows a support post 1 having a similar configuration to thesupport post 1 of FIG. 4, the main difference being that the spurs 35radiating from the central hub 33 do not have hook shapes at the groove3-spur 35 interface. Instead, the thickness of each spur 35 at thegroove 3-spur 35 interface in the support post 1 of FIG. 5 is increasedto accommodate a cylindrical cavity 43 having a 4 mm diameter.

Although the support posts 1 of FIGS. 1, 4 and 5 can be manufactured ina variety of sizes, the support posts 1 of FIGS. 4 and 5 have theadditional advantage that two or more support posts 1 can be joined endto end. This is achieved by inserting one end of a rod (not shown) intothe cavity of the central hub 33 at one end of a support post 1 andinserting the other end of the rod into the central hub 33 at one end ofa second support post 1. Optionally, additional rods (not shown) can beinserted into the hooks at the spur 35-groove 3 interfaces of thesupport post 1 of FIG. 4 or the cavities 43 at the spur 35-groove 3interfaces of the support post 1 of FIG. 5. These additional rodsprevent relative angular movement between the connected support posts 1.

For the support post 1 of FIG. 4, the additional rods can be snap-fittedinto the hooks by twisting the support posts 1 to be connected inopposite directions.

The operation of the furniture support system will now be described withreference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

Typically, support posts 1 having a length in the range of 385-2340 mmare used. The number of support posts 1, work top support elements 9 andpartition support elements 23 depends on the desired workstation clusterdesign. The connector element 15 of each of the support elements 9,23 isfitted into its respective groove 3 in each of the support posts 1 fromone of the ends of the support post 1.

For the work top support elements 9, the length of the connector element15 is around 87 mm which is much shorter than the length of the supportpost 1, and hence the length of the groove 3. Therefore the position ofthe work top support element 9 can be adjusted in its groove 3 such thatthe top of the plate 13 is set at the appropriate height relative to thefloor to support the work top at the desired working height. When thesupport post 1 is vertically mounted the support plate 13 issubstantially horizontal. When the support element 9 has been positionedcorrectly it is locked in place using the grub screw (see FIGS. 1 a-c).

The workstation work top is fastened to the plate 13 by bolts or screwsas appropriate, each work top being supported generally by at leastthree support posts 1.

The partition support elements 23 are located in the support postgrooves 3 in the same manner as the work top support elements 9, andsimilarly the position of the partition support element 23 relative tothe support post 1 is adjustable. However, the length of the partitionsupport elements 23 is typically approximately the same length as asupport post 1. Therefore the connector element 15 of a partitionsupport element 23 occupies a substantial part of the length of a groove3 and does not require additional fixing means since, in thisarrangement, it is supported by the floor when the support post 1 isvertically mounted on the floor.

Partition screens are inserted into the desired partition connectorelements 24, wherein the male connector member 27 on the partitionsupport element 23 engages with the female connector socket in thepartition screen, and the locking teeth 29 hold the screen in place.

The assembly of support posts 1, support elements 9,23, work tops andpartitions is so arranged to form the desired cluster of partitionedworkstations.

FIG. 5 shows some of the positions at which the work top and partitionsupport elements 23 can be located in the grooves 3. The support post 1of FIG. 5 has alternating partition support elements 23 and work topsupport elements 9. The arrangement is not intended to be a practicalset-up for a particular workstation cluster design but rather isillustrative that support elements 9,23 can be located in adjacentgrooves 3.

The work top support element 9 takes part of the load from a workstationwork top and transmits it to the support post 1 and therefore thesupport system operates as a work top leg. Since a number of work topsupport elements 9 can be attached to one support post 1, a singlesupport post 1 can act as a leg for a number of workstations.

Furthermore, the same support post 1 can incorporate a number ofpartition support elements 23 which can support partition screensbetween workstations. A number of support posts 1 can be arranged tofully support a cluster of workstation work tops and partition screensleading to a more integrated and efficient furniture support system.

A set of support posts 1 having at least one work top support element 9can be arranged to fully support a single workstation work top or aplurality of workstation work tops.

Additionally, a number of other components can optionally be included inthe furniture support system, including end-caps 45 for support posts 1(see FIGS. 6 a-c). The end-caps 45 are essentially a dust cover toprevent foreign objects from entering the support post 1 cavity. Theend-caps 45 also provide an improved aesthetic which is desirable in anoffice environment. A foot 47 may be also be added to the support post 1to spread the loading over a larger surface area (see FIG. 7). End-caps49 and feet 51 can also be added to the partition support elements 23for the same reasons as applying to the support posts 1 (see FIGS. 8 ato 9 b). The end-caps 45,49 and feet 47,51 are preferably made from aplastics material or from aluminium or an aluminium alloy.

It will be appreciated that alterations can be made to the embodimentdescribed above without departing from the spirit of the presentinvention. For example, the support post 1 can include any number ofgrooves 3, the cross-section of the grooves 3 and connector elements 15can be altered, or the grooves 3 may only run for part of the length ofthe support post 1.

Other support elements can be used to support other types of furnituresuch as drawers or filing systems.

In the examples above, the grooves 3 all have the same cross-section,such that any support element 9, 23 can fit into any of the grooves 3.Alternatively, the grooves 3 in a support post 1 can have differentprofiles such that only certain types of support elements 9,23 can fitinto particular profiled grooves 3. Also, more than one support element9,23 can be located in a particular groove 3 to support a number offurniture objects, for example, upper and lower work surfaces.

Other fixing methods can be employed for fixing the workstation work topsupport elements 9 in place in the support post 1 grooves 3, such as aratchet system.

Furthermore, the invention is not limited to substantially cylindricalsupport posts 1, for example, the support posts 1 can have a rectangularor hexagonal cross-section.

1. A furniture support system comprising: a support post having a firstlocating formation comprising: a channel that extends longitudinallyalong at least a part of the length of the support post, the channelhaving a longitudinal axis, a pair of lips defining a mouth, and achannel body located behind the mouth, the mouth being narrower than thechannel body; a support element having a second locating formation thatis complementary to the channel and removably engaged therewith, thefirst and second locating formations being constructed and arranged forsliding movement in the longitudinal direction, such that the positionof the support element relative to the support post is continuouslyadjustable; and a lock adapted to fix the position of the supportelement relative to the support post in a load bearing manner, whereinthe second locating formation has upper and lower ends and the lock islocated towards the lower end and includes a screw that is constructedand arranged for compressive engagement with the channel body on aninner face opposite the mouth thereby causing, in use, the secondlocating formation to adjust its orientation within the channel into alocking position in which the second locating formation is inclined tothe longitudinal axis of the channel such that the lower end is pushedagainst an inner face of the lips and the upper end engages the innerface of the channel body opposite the mouth, so as to fix the positionof the support element by increased friction between the support elementand the support post.
 2. A furniture support system according to claim1, wherein the first locating formation extends along substantially theentire length of the support post.
 3. A furniture support systemaccording to claim 1, wherein the lock comprises a screw arranged toapply compressive load to the channel body.
 4. A furniture supportsystem according to claim 1, wherein the support post includesattachment means for connecting two posts end to end.
 5. A furnituresupport system according to claim 1, wherein the support post issubstantially cylindrical.
 6. A furniture support system according toclaim 1, wherein the support element comprises a bracket for supportinga workstation work top.
 7. A furniture support system according to claim1, including a screen support member for supporting a partition screen.8. A furniture support system according to claim 7, wherein the screensupport member includes a third locating formation that is complementaryto the first locating formation and engageable therewith, the first andthird locating formations being constructed and arranged for slidingmovement in the longitudinal direction, such that the position of thescreen support member relative to the support post is continuouslyadjustable.
 9. A furniture support system according to claim 1, whereinthe support post includes a plurality of angularly spaced first locatingformations.
 10. A furniture support system according to claim 9, whereinthe support post includes between three and sixteen first locatingformations.
 11. A furniture support system according to claim 9, whereinthe support post includes between eight and twelve first locatingformations.
 12. A furniture support system according to claim 9, whereinthe first locating formations extend substantially parallel to oneanother.
 13. A set of workstations including a plurality of work topsand a plurality of legs for supporting the work tops, wherein at leastone of the legs is arranged to support a plurality of the desk tops andcomprises a furniture support system according to claim
 9. 14. Aworkstation including a work top and a plurality of legs for supportingthe work top, wherein at least one of the legs comprises a furnituresupport system according to claim 1 and the position of the work toprelative to the support post is adjustable.
 15. A furniture supportaccording to claim 1, wherein the lock is adapted to fix the position ofthe support element relative to the support post by causing the upperend of the second locating formation to push against the inner face ofthe channel body opposite the mouth.
 16. A furniture support systemcomprising: a support post comprising: a channel that extendslongitudinally along at least a part of the length of the support post,said channel having a longitudinal axis, a pair of lips defining a mouthand a channel body located behind the mouth, the mouth being narrowerthan the channel body; a support element including a continuous body,comprising: a first part for supporting a load that is located outsideof the channel and extends outwards from the support post and a secondpart comprising a locating formation having a cross-section that issubstantially complementary to the cross-section of the channel andremovably engaged therewith, the channel and the locating formationbeing constructed and arranged for sliding movement in the longitudinaldirection, such that the position of the support element relative to thesupport post is continuously adjustable; and a lock adapted to fix theposition of the support element relative to the support post in a loadbearing manner, wherein the locating formation has upper and lower endsand the lock is located towards the lower end and includes a screw thatis constructed and arranged for compressive engagement with the channelbody on an inner face opposite the mouth thereby causing, in use, thesecond locating formation to adjust its orientation within the channelinto a locking position; wherein the second locating formation isinclined to the longitudinal axis of the channel such that the lower endis pushed against the inner face of the lips and the upper end engagesthe inner face of the channel body opposite the mouth, so as to fix theposition of the support element.
 17. A furniture support systemaccording to claim 16, wherein the position of the support element isfixed by increased friction between the support element and the supportpost.
 18. A furniture support system according to claim 16, wherein thesupport element includes undercut portions located between the first andsecond parts of the body that are each arranged to receive one of thechannel lips and are each arranged substantially complementary thereto.19. A furniture support system according to claim 1, wherein the supportelement includes undercut portions that are each arranged to receive oneof the channel lips and are each arranged substantially complementarythereto.